Biomes
Standards 6a & 6b
Standards 6a & 6b


6a: Students know biodiversity is the sum
total of different kinds of organisms and is
affected by alterations of habitats.
6b: Students know how to analyze
changes in an ecosystem resulting from
changes in climate, human activity,
introduction of non-native species, or
changes in population size.
What affects climate?

Climate in an area is affected by two
main things
• Direct sunlight (heat)
• Precipitation

Climate directly affects the type of
biome
• Biome is an environment with specific
vegetation and organisms
• If it is cold, you have organisms that are
suitable to the ____
Biomes



Because of these two factors
combined, we get specific biomes at
specific areas.
For example, at the equator, there is
a lot of sunlight, and a lot of
precipitation, so there is a tropical
rainforest.
At 30°, there is a lot of sunlight, but
little or no precipitation, so there is a
desert.
Overview




Sunlight and precipitation affect the
climate
Climate over an environment
produces a biome
A biome has organisms suited to the
climate
Biomes generally occur on the same
latitudes
Biomes

There are two main types of biomes
• Land
• Aquatic (water)

We will cover both today
Land Biomes


Most land biomes are named after
their climax community.
Some of the land biomes
• Tundra
• Taiga (TIGH-guh)
• Temperate deciduous forest
• Grassland
• Tropical rain forest
• Desert
Tropical rain forest
Temperate grassland
Temperate forest
Tundra
Tropical dry forest
Desert
Northwestern
coniferous forest
Mountains and
ice caps
Tropical savanna
Temperate woodland
and shrubland
Boreal forest
(Taiga)
Aquatic biomes



There are 3 main types of aquatic
biomes.
The amount of salt determines the
type of biome.
The 3 main types of aquatic biomes
• Freshwater
• Marine (saltwater)
• Estuaries
Tundra

Tundra
• Located near the poles
• Treeless biome covered by moss,
lichens, and grasses
• Permafrost – a layer of permanently
frozen subsoil
Taiga (Boreal Forest)

Taiga
• Covered by coniferous (cone bearing)
trees.
• Bears, wolves, moose, elk are some of
the typical animals

Coniferous Forest
Temperate Biomes

Temperate climates characterized by
cold winters and hot summers
• Plants change during the seasons
(leaves change color)

Deciduous Forest, Woodland &
Shrubland, Grassland
Grasslands

Grasslands
• Most of the rainfall occurs in one part of
the season
• Hot summers, cold winters
Tropical Rain/Dry Forest

Tropical rain forest
• Located at equator
• Receive 200-400 centimeters of rain a
year
• Constant temperature.
• Home of the most types of animals than
any other biome. Many colorful

Dry forest: less precipitation
Deserts

Deserts
• Located at 30° latitude
• Less than 25 cm of rain falls a year
• Both plants and animals must be able to
retain moisture.
• Birds, lizards, snakes, insects are typical
• Cactus and sagebrush sparsely cover
the area
Freshwater biomes

Rivers, streams, and lakes
Marine Biomes


Includes all of the ocean
Marine biomes are divided into 4
subcategories
• Intertidal zone
• Neritic zone
• Open-sea zone
• Deep-sea zone
Estuaries



Estuaries are the boundaries
between freshwater and saltwater.
Since it is a mix of the two, a variety
of organisms can be supported.
Examples of estuaries
• Delta, swamp, lagoon
Biome Project






In groups of 3-4, create a biome presentation
Give information about the biome, including:
• Temperature range (graph)
• Precipitation (graph)
• Location (latitudes/areas)
• Plants (vegetation)
• Animals
• Interesting Facts
Posterboard or Powerpoint acceptable
More visuals, the better
500000000 points
Due in two weeks!
To help you out…



A Biology Textbook
http://mbgnet.mobot.org/
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/La
boratory/Biome/
Preplan…




What kind of presentation will you
do? Powerpoint? Posterboard?
Who is doing what? Research?
Picture finding? Who’s good with
computers? Who’s bringing
materials?
When do you want to meet up?
Contact info?
Anything else you can think of…